Daily Devotion with Pastor Tong Liu: Today's Passage

Acts 6:8-15

Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen - Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us." All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

In the early church, the power of God not only came upon the apostles, but also upon the church leaders. God's power is for everyone; the spiritual gifts are not only reserved for the church leaders, but also for anyone who serves Him. In the church today, we often believe that the spiritual gifts are given to church leader and pastors, and lay believers like us don't have much power or gifts. Actually, the Bible clearly taught us that God ordained apostles, prophets and other roles so that the saints may rise up and be completed, and serve God in one heart and one mind.

Verse 8 says that "Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people." On the one hand, we need to understand that we may stand before God's throne and serve the Lord because of His mercy, and we also receive His grace when we are serving Him. On the other hand, we need His power, because otherwise the church can easily become a place for Christians to share our weaknesses. Church should not be a place of weakness, but rather one that is filled with power. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to be manifested completely and to lift the glory of Jesus Christ high. We need His grace, and also His power, and so did Stephen. He was speaking in wisdom out of the Holy Spirit, and no one could stand against him. Living in North America, we like to use our own cleverness, talent or experience to preach the gospel; however, preaching the gospel cannot be effective solely by using our knowledge or eloquence, but it can only be done by the wisdom of God and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Pray with Pastor Tong

Lord, we thank you because you used Stephen mightily. He was full of your grace and power, and today we also ask you for your grace and power upon us so that we may bear glorious witness for you in our life. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!